Living Well

The other day I was sitting at my desk, hunched over my computer, working furiously trying to get 20 different things accomplished. There were deadlines approaching and I was getting totally stressed. I needed a quick solution to relieve my stress and help me stay focused. And that’s when I remembered how great essential oils are for stress relief. With a few whiffs of this awesome essential oil and a really effective breathing technique (I’ll link to it below) in less than two minutes, I was feeling calmer and better able to focus. So, if you’re wondering what essential oils to use to relieve stress and anxiety and help calm you down, here are 7 of the best: Lavender, Bergamot, Lemon, Lemon Grass, Ylang Ylang, Clary Sage, and Orange Oil. 1) Lavender Oil to Relieve Stress The scent of lavender is probably one of the…

Americans are more stressed than ever AND more stressed as a whole than most people from other countries. A recent Gallup poll found that Americans report feeling stressed and worried at the highest levels in a decade. So if you are wondering, how can I reduce my stress levels and stop worrying and start living you are not alone! Here are 25 simple and scientifically proven ways to reduce your stress and start enjoying life more today including tips on what to eat and drink, how to breathe, what to listen to, watch and read! 1) Breathe your way to reduced stress First, let’s talk about the amazing ways that breathing can help calm your mind and body! I love starting with the breath because it is something that is with us all the time and that we can easily control. We can use a stress relieving breathing technique…

If you’ve got the urge to grow things but need some serious short cuts that will get you beautiful flowers, plants, and even vegetables without a lot of work or hassle then you’ve come to the right place! I’ve got 5 of the top gardening tips so you can enjoy an awesome garden in less time and with less worry and less stress than you think! Spring and summer in Wisconsin bring out the gardener in me! And when I say gardener, I mean the person who wants to have beautiful flowers, fresh tomatoes, crispy lettuce, and savory herbs ready to be picked and enjoyed. Full disclosure – I’m not so big on the planting, watering, weeding, worrying about pests, etc. part of all that. My husband teases that we just need to get a house next door to a botanical garden…

What to do when the Marie Kondo Method doesn’t work for you… If you’re at all interested in cleaning and decluttering and you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few years, it’s likely you’ve heard of Marie Kondo and her KonMari Method of decluttering and organizing your home. Her books are so popular they’ve sold millions of copies in several different languages. In 2015 Time Magazine put her on its list of the top 100 most influential people. She’s become such a cultural icon that she’s even got her own Netflix series. I’m always looking for easy ways to keep my house clean and clutter-free and the fact her title has the phrase “Life-Changing Magic” in it made me REALLY want to love her ideas and her method and go all-in for it…

Let’s face it, life doesn’t always hand us a free ticket to the beach and an ice cream cone and say, “Hey, you’re awesome! Take the day off!” But you don’t have to take life’s blows sitting down. Here are 7 smart actions to take to make life better when things go wrong! Have you ever had one of those days (or weeks!) when everything just seems to go wrong? You don’t get the job you thought you had nailed the interview on, or you try to complete a project on time and totally miss the deadline because of circumstances beyond your control, or you get snowed in AND your back goes out, or the refrigerator dies or your car breaks down, or you end up spending 45 minutes stuck in traffic behind an accident and miss…